We are excited to kick off our brand new blog with a topic that is dear to our hearts: “how to hide lavaliers.” The act of hiding a lavalier and getting great audio from it is sometimes considered a feat for those who practice the dark arts. But we are going to show you a few tips and tricks for getting better sound on your next project. So let’s get started.
Tackling Wardrobe
We are not using a whole lot of speciality items here that you can’t find online from major retailers. It’s often thought that professional sound people shop in these mythical stores that restrict entry to anyone who doesn’t know a secret password but in reality, anyone is free to shop there. And the stores aren’t that secret anymore with the advent of the internet. Plus, more than half of what you’ll see in this article are items you can pick up at a drug store!
DIY or Going Name Brand… or Both?
It seems that in most cases on an indie film set, the sound department is often getting the smallest budget or is last on the list when money is dished out. With a few of the DIY audio tips from above, you can still capture great audio, even on a budget. It just means you will have to use some elbow grease to make it happen. And for some, that’s okay. For others, they want to buy the materials and get started on day one. So we also did a video about what to keep in your kit
Conclusion
I hope this helped demystify the dark art that is hiding lavaliers. And while these tips, tricks, and DIY kits will get you started, there is one thing only you can do… practice! Most people I’ve talked to have about 7 go-to methods for hiding a lavalier that they know like the back of their hand. They know which fabrics work best with each method, which method will sound best based on the actors blocking, and how to modify them for a given situation. But all that knowledge can only come from practicing, experimenting, and talking to others. So we will end this, our first blog post, with a challenge to you, our readers. Go out and try some of these methods for yourself in your spare time! Even great athletes practice between games.
Suggested Lavaliers –
Check out the W.Lav Pro and W.Lav Micro if you are interested in lavaliers that are easy to hide and sound great, even after they are buried under layers of fabric.
Or purchase Deity products from your local dealer.